Attachment 01 Instructions to Vendor.pdf

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION FAR 2.101 & 3.104

Synopsis / Solicitation

Instructions to Vendors / Evaluation Factors Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Interpreting Services - DFAS Rome, NY

RFQ: HQ042326QE012

Description: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested.

The solicitation number is HQ042326QE012 and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-06.

This requirement is a total small business set-aside. The associated NAICS is 541930 and the small business size standard is $22.5M.

Anticipated period of performance: A one-year base period and four additional one-year option periods anticipated to begin on 02/01/2026.

ISSUED BY:

Contracting Specialist: Veronica Hay, veronica.c.hay.civ@mail.mil Contracting Officer: Christina Rosen, christina.l.rosen.civ@mail.mil DFAS Contract Services Directorate 3990 E. Broad Street, Bldg. 21 Columbus, OH 43213-1152

All quotes should be emailed to the contacts above before the established closing date/time.

Questions shall be submitted by 12:00PM EST on 11 December 2025.

Quotations shall be submitted by 12:00PM EST on 18 December 2025.

Questions will be answered at the discretion of the Contracting Officer

1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Quotations shall include the RFQ number, date of submittal, the vendor's name, address, CAGE, POC name, phone number, and email. Quotations shall also include attachments. The first attachment represents the vendor's response to Factor 1 - Past Performance. The second attachment represents the quoter's response to Factor 2 - Price. Vendors may use the body of the email as a cover letter. All emails shall include the RFQ number in the subject line.

Note: There is a 15MB limit for all email submissions.

2. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Factor 1 - Past Performance

A. Provide a list of no more than three of your most recent and relevant contracts. Only recent and relevant contracts will be evaluated. Recent means contracts performed or completed within three years from the quotation due date. For contracts that are currently being performed, the vendor must have performed at least six months of service for the contract to be evaluated. Relevant

Instructions to Vendors / Evaluation Factors Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Interpreting Services - DFAS Rome, NY

RFQ: HQ042326QE012

means similar in scope and complexity to the solicited work. Furnish the following information for each contract referenced:

1. The name of the Agency or Company to which the services were provided.

2. Description of Service, including details for in-person and/or virtual environments, scheduled or as-needed services, response times, deaf and/or hard of hearing, the interpreting method(s) used, and the type of event(s) or environment(s).

3. Contract Number.

4. Contract Dollar Value.

5. Period of Performance.

6. Verified, up-to-date name, address, email and phone number of the Contracting Officer or other point of contact (POC) with knowledge of performance.

7. Comments regarding compliance with contract terms and conditions.

8. Comments regarding any known performance deemed unacceptable to the customer, or not in accordance with the contract terms and conditions.

9. Explanation of why the contract is relevant to the solicited work.

B. Questionnaires. Attached to the solicitation is a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ). Quoters are required to send the Questionnaire to each contracting officer or POC with knowledge of the quoter's performance for each contract referenced (unless a past performance record is already available in CPARS for the referenced contract). The contracting officer/POC should be instructed to send the completed Questionnaire directly to the Contracting Specialist and Contracting Officer identified on the first page of the Instructions. PPQs are due no later than the quotation due date specified. The quoter is solely responsible for ensuring that Questionnaires are received by the Government no later than the quotation due date. Questionnaires received after the quotation due date may not be considered in the evaluation.

C. Subcontractor Consent: Past performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime contractor or the Government without the subcontractor's consent. Provide a letter, as an additional Attachment, from each subcontractor that will perform significant aspects of this requirement, consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor and the Government. Consent letters do not count toward page limitations.

Factor 2 - Price Attached to this solicitation is a Schedule of Items. Using the Schedule ofltems or similar pricing structure, provide a firm fixed-price for the base period and all option periods. The unit price shall be provided as a fixed hourly rate and shall be fully burdened, inclusive of all direct and indirect costs.

To permit a thorough and effective evaluation, all submissions shall be as concise, complete and clear as possible so as to permit the Government to make an evaluation without further discussions. The Government reserves the right to make a determination based solely on the information submitted and proceed without clarifications or discussions.

3. EVALUATION:

The Government intends to evaluate quotations and award a firm fixed-price purchase order based upon the quoter's past performance and price based on the initial quotation. Therefore, the initial quotation

Instructions to Vendors / Evaluation Factors Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Interpreting Services - DFAS Rome, NY

RFQ: HQ042326QE012 PR: HQ0448520150

should contain the best terms. The award shall be made to the responsible vendor whose quotation represents the best value to the Government. The Government may reject any or all quotations if such action is in the public interest; accept a quotation other than the lowest priced quotation; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotations received.

3.1 Order of Importance:

Factor 1 - Past Performance is more important than Factor 2 - Price. However, the importance of price will increase if quotations are rated and considered essentially equal in terms of non-price factors.

3.2 Evaluation of Past Performance: Past Performance will be evaluated in the following manner:

The Government shall evaluate recent and relevant performance information based on the contracts provided by the quoter and Questionnaires received. The Government may seek, and consider in the evaluation, data independently obtained from other government and commercial sources, including databases such as CPARS. Recent means contracts performed or completed within three years from the quotation due date. For contracts that are currently being performed, the contractor must have performed at least six months of service for the contract to be considered. Relevant means similar in scope and complexity to the solicited work.

Projects performed by subcontractors or joint venture partners may be considered relevant provided the information submitted by the contractor demonstrates that the subcontractor or joint venture partner played a major role and critical role in successfully performing the project.

Relevant projects performed by the contractor as a prime contractor will be weighed more heavily in the overall evaluation. Contracts performed for the Department of Defense, depending on relevancy, may be considered more significant in the evaluation.

The government reserves the right to give greater consideration to information on those contracts deemed most relevant to the effort described in this solicitation.

Each past performance submission will be assessed for relevancy in accordance with the table below.

Relevancy Table

Very Relevant Present/past performance effort involved essentially the same scope and complexities this solicitation requires.

Relevant Present/past performance effort involved much of the scope and complexities this solicitation requires.

Somewhat Relevant Present/past performance effort involved some of the scope and complexities this solicitation requires.

Not Relevant Present/past performance effort did not involve any of the scope and complexities this solicitation requires.

Instructions to Vendors / Evaluation Factors Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Interpreting Services - DFAS Rome, NY

The purpose of the past performance evaluation is to allow the government to assess the contractor's ability to perform the effort described in the solicitation, based on recency, relevancy, and quality of performance on the quoter's past performance efforts. The assessment process will result in an overall performance confidence rating in accordance with the table below. For quotes where past performance history is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment can reasonably be assigned, their confidence assessment shall receive the rating of "Neutral Confidence." A rating of "Neutral Confidence" may have less merit than a rating of high, substantial, or satisfactory confidence.

Confidence Table

High Confidence Based on the contractor's performance record, the government has high confidence the contractor will successfully perform the required effort.

Substantial Confidence Based on the contractor's performance record, the government has substantial confidence the contractor will successfully perform the required effort.

Satisfactory Confidence

Based on the contractor's performance record, the government has confidence the contractor will successfully perform the required effort.

Neutral Confidence Performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned.

Limited Confidence

Based on the contractor's performance record, substantial doubt exists that the contractor will successfully perform the required effort.

No Confidence

Based on the contractor's performance record, extreme doubt exists that the contractor will successfully perform the required effort.

3.3. Evaluation of Price:

Price reasonableness will be determined in accordance with FAR 13.106-3.

The government has included 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services. For evaluation purposes, the Government will consider the price for the six-month Option to Extend Services as equal to half the price of the last option period quoted. The total evaluated price will include the base period and all options including the Option to Extend Services. Evaluation of options will not obligate the government to exercise the options.

Quotes shall remain valid for a minimum of 60 days.

PROVISION/CLAUSE FILL-INS:

The below provisions/clauses shall be completed in the Quoter's Reps and Certs on SAM.gov; otherwise, the quoter shall submit the full text version with fill-ins completed at the time of quotation. Full text of provisions/clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquistion.gov.

Instructions to Vendors / Evaluation Factors Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Interpreting Services - DFAS Rome, NY

52.204-24 52.204-26 252.204-7016 252.204-7017

PROTESTS:

Companies protesting this procurement may file a protest 1) with the contracting officer, 2) with the General Accounting Office, or 3) pursuant to Executive Order No. 12979, with the Agency for a decision by the Activity's Chief of the Contracting Office. A protest filed with the agency per# 3) should clearly state that it is an "Agency Level Protest under Executive Order No. 12979." Absent a clear indication of the intent to file an agency level protest, a protest will be presumed to be a protest to the contracting officer. Upon request, the agency will consider an independent review at a level above the contracting officer for protests filed with the agency per #3).

WAGE DETERMINATION:

The Service Contract Act of 1965, as amended, applies to this acquisition, per the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses that have been incorporated by reference within FAR 52.212-5. Wage Determinations are applicable to this requirement and may be found at: https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations